Mexican officials in internal assessments have expressed worry that the Biden’s administration’s immigration stance, characterized as lenient by many conservatives, is incentivizing gang activity and human smuggling.
The authorities said organized crime is recruiting personnel and expanding its reach in response to U.S. policy changes that encourage the flow of migrants through the southern border, according to Reuters, which obtained reviews and intelligence from the Mexican government. An official, who was not identified by name, further added that gangs have begun to diversify “from the day Biden took office,” and they’re now reaching “unprecedented” levels of sophistication.
“Migrants have become a commodity,” the person said. “But if a packet of drugs is lost in the sea, it’s gone. If migrants are lost, it’s human beings we’re talking about.”
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, on March 1, referred to Biden as the “migrant president.”
“They see him as the migrant president, and so many feel they’re going to reach the United States,” he said. “We need to work together to regulate the flow because this business can’t be tackled from one day to the next.”
FLORIDA SUES BIDEN ADMINISTRATION OVER ALLEGED ICE REFUSAL TO DETAIN ‘SERIOUS CRIMINALS’
The internal assessments further revealed that policies from within Mexico are encouraging migration to the U.S. due to COVID-19 vaccinations and protections for children. Those looking to cross the border have been implored to bring children with them, following a new law in the country that bars families with children who are seven and older from being returned to Mexico if border enforcement is unable to house them.
Migrants also use social media to communicate while traversing the border and instruct individuals to tell authorities they have been victims of extortion or street violence to heighten their chances of asylum status, the documents said.
The Biden administration has been grappling with a border crisis as officials anticipate that 117,000 children will arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border without a parent or guardian in 2021, according to a White House Domestic Policy Council document. The massive number dwarfs previous highs in 2014 and 2019, when 68,000 and 80,000 solo children made their way into the U.S., respectively.
U.S. border officials noted at least 20,000 illegal crossings each week in February as the administration faces backlash over its handling of the crisis.
Biden, in mid-February, mandated ICE officers seek approval from senior leadership before deporting anyone that has not crossed the border recently. The president’s policy also requires the agency to focus only on “threats to national security” and other highly dangerous offenders.
“By focusing our limited resources on cases that present threats to national security, border security, and public safety, our agency will more ably and effectively execute its law enforcement mission,” ICE acting Director Tae Johnson said of the rules, which will be in effect for the next two months. “We must prioritize our efforts to achieve the greatest security and safety impact.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
On Tuesday, Florida sued the administration after alleging “serious criminals” were not being detained by ICE authorities in the Sunshine State. Similar litigation was filed in Arizona and Montana.
“Given your recent plea for volunteers from throughout the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to support Customs and Border Protection’s work at the border, I request that you publicly declare that the situation at the southern border is a crisis,” Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs, a Republican, said in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
ICE, Customs and Border Protection, and Homeland Security did not immediately return requests for comment from the Washington Examiner.
